BCB Chapter 4 – Preparing for Restoration

Dr. Weiss realized that there was a good chance that the Bay checkerspot could be restored, if its habitat could be returned to something close to its original state. Thanks to generous grants from PG&E, Weiss began mowing plots of affected grasslands in 2005 where he had counted large butterfly populations in years past. He found that the native plants — tidy tips, goldfields, California plantain, and others — staged comebacks when these competitive invaders were removed.